No property papers? What sellers & buyers should do

A couple of years ago, when Vaibhav Chapke, a 38-year old IT professional, was looking to buy a house, he zeroed in on one at Kandivli, Mumbai. “The property agent had shown me a few houses, but I liked this one because it was in an ideal location, was well-maintained and, more importantly, fit my budget.” However, Chapke became suspicious and reluctant when the owner said he preferred the entire sale proceeds in cash, at one go. He decided to research and roped in a lawyer to help him out. Soon, they realised that the owner did not have the original documents related to the property. “The broker told me